Suchergebnisse

Homelessness is now recognized as a significant public health problem in North America and throughout advanced economies of the world. The causes of homelessness are complex but the lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, addiction, and mental illness all contribute to the risk for homelessness. We argue that homelessness is increasingly exacerbated by system-wide infrastructure failures occurring at the municipal, state, and federal government levels and whose catastrophic impacts on population health and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic are the consequence of the decades-long devolution of government and neglect to invest in public infrastructure, including a modern public health system.

[Extract] This journal aims to promote, publish and promulgate high-quality, innovative research. As laudable as this is, it is not enough. Unless this research culminates in practical and cost-effective interventions capable of attracting the political and social support required to allow effective implementation, it will not prevent harm or save lives. The Public Health Model has been proposed as a framework to promote the progression of sports medicine research towards real-world application. In this four-stage model, research progresses in a stepwise manner from problem identification to adoption of effective interventions: Stage 1: establishing the magnitude of the problem; Stage 2: identifying risk factors; Stage 3: developing effective interventions; Stage 4: ensuring widespread adoption and use.

OBJECTIVES: Walking is older adults' second most preferred mode of transport and preferred recreational activity. This leads to greater exposure to traffic, increasing their risk of pedestrian-vehicle crashes, with older adults being more likely to die as a pedestrian when compared to other modes of transport. However, less focus has been placed on this particularly vulnerable group. This review summarises issues associated with older adult pedestrian and motorised mobility scooters (MMS) safety and interventions that have been conducted. METHODS: A literature search was undertaken from Pub Med, MUARC publications, Curtin University Library Catalogue and Google Scholar. Keywords included older pedestrians, older adult road injury, mobility scooter injury, and injury prevention. Publications from 2000 onwards were used, unless an earlier publication had significant relevance and worth. CONCLUSION: Maintaining older adults' mobility and independence during a time of decreasing physical and mental capacity is a priority. Walking provides a key mode of transport that needs to be given higher priority within the road environment by policy makers, transport planners and drivers. Therefore governments need to consider appropriate and comprehensive urban planning and road safety policies that accommodate 'active ageing' to provide pedestrians and MMS users with environments that facilitate active living and safe transport. In addition there is a need for community programs that raise awareness about safe road crossing for this growing vulnerable age group.